Narrative:

The following is an explanation of the go around at lga. I was cleared to intercept the GS at 4000 ft. Upon switching to lga tower, communications were poor with many crew complaining of poor xmissions. On the approach heavy rain occurred with some moderate turbulence and lightning. Reaching 1000 ft I had slowed to within the gear operating speed and selected the gear down followed by 1/4 flaps to start the speed reduction to landing speed. Ground contact was now intermittent. I delayed turning on the landing light in order to eliminate the bright reflection in the heavy rain until I had the approach lights. The aircraft behind me made another inquiry about my position as he was now at or inside the OM, but the tower's response again was hard to understand. Coming up to the approach lights, I selected 1/2 flaps and over the approach lights I selected full flaps and turned on the landing light. Seeing no light, I selected the taxi light and completed the remaining prelndg checklist noticing that the gear was not properly indicating down. I then initiated the go around. This situation would not have occurred if communications with the tower had been good.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX PLT MAKES GAR FROM OVER APCH LIGHTS AFTER REALIZING GEAR NOT GREEN FOR LNDG. COMPLAINS OF POOR TWR COM.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXPLANATION OF THE GAR AT LGA. I WAS CLRED TO INTERCEPT THE GS AT 4000 FT. UPON SWITCHING TO LGA TWR, COMS WERE POOR WITH MANY CREW COMPLAINING OF POOR XMISSIONS. ON THE APCH HVY RAIN OCCURRED WITH SOME MODERATE TURB AND LIGHTNING. REACHING 1000 FT I HAD SLOWED TO WITHIN THE GEAR OPERATING SPD AND SELECTED THE GEAR DOWN FOLLOWED BY 1/4 FLAPS TO START THE SPD REDUCTION TO LNDG SPD. GND CONTACT WAS NOW INTERMITTENT. I DELAYED TURNING ON THE LNDG LIGHT IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE THE BRIGHT REFLECTION IN THE HVY RAIN UNTIL I HAD THE APCH LIGHTS. THE ACFT BEHIND ME MADE ANOTHER INQUIRY ABOUT MY POS AS HE WAS NOW AT OR INSIDE THE OM, BUT THE TWR'S RESPONSE AGAIN WAS HARD TO UNDERSTAND. COMING UP TO THE APCH LIGHTS, I SELECTED 1/2 FLAPS AND OVER THE APCH LIGHTS I SELECTED FULL FLAPS AND TURNED ON THE LNDG LIGHT. SEEING NO LIGHT, I SELECTED THE TAXI LIGHT AND COMPLETED THE REMAINING PRELNDG CHKLIST NOTICING THAT THE GEAR WAS NOT PROPERLY INDICATING DOWN. I THEN INITIATED THE GAR. THIS SIT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF COMS WITH THE TWR HAD BEEN GOOD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.